Upon opening the tin, you see and smell a dark, smoky mixture. The tobacco in my tin was rather moist, but I just filled up a bowl and lit it up. Even though it seemed too moist, I had no trouble lighting and keeping lit.

There is definitely a hickory aroma pre-light, and in the room note. I thought the SG Commonwealth had a great full-bodied taste without being too strong to knock you over. The smoky hickory flavor stayed throughout as well as an underlying sweetness that reminded me of a dried fruit mixture I have - "a sweet, tart, and tangy medley of fruit flavors" (tart apples and tasty apricots) along with the hickory - in a word - "Delicious"!

I highly recommend the Samuel Gawith's Commonwealth. Don't be alarmed by the "Full Strength Mixture" tagline. I thought I would need to save this for after a big meal, which I did, but now that it is the morning after, I am ready to light it up again before breakfast or even having coffee.

Iím a Spanish pipe smoker. From its introduction in Spain, Commonwealth mixture was my all day pipe tobacco. One year ago Samuel Gawith tobaccos temporally disappeared off the Spanish tobacco market. When reappeared, the mixture was different. Currently the tobacco is not dark as time ago, the aroma is most similar to Dunhill mixtures by Orlik, and its stuff bored. I send two e-mails to Bob Gregory including my observations about the changes in this tobacco but I no received a satisfactory reply. Currently I smoke My Own Blend Balkan from Paul Olsen, Penzance, and recently Quiet Nights.